Wednesday, 10 August 2016

Book Review: Harry Potter and The Cursed Child Parts 1 & 2.

Hey, everyone! I hope you're doing well. I have read SO many books lately that I have a big list of book reviews to do, haha. So let's begin with one which is being completely hyped up right now (without spoilers)!

This is, of course, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. This is what everyone is talking about right now - the hype is real! I know I've put 'book review' but this isn't a book. It is a two part West End stage play written by Jack Thorne based on an original new story by Thorne, John Tiffany and J.K. Rowling. It is a rehearsal script, not a novelisation of the play, but it is the eighth story set in the Harry Potter universe.

The Background

Set 19 years after Voldemort's defeat, the script picks up where the seventh book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, ended. Harry Potter is now the Head of Magical Law Enforcement and has three children with his wife Ginny Weasley: James Sirius, Albus Severus and Lily Luna. Hermione Granger is now Minister of Magic and also has two children with Ron Weasley: Rose and Hugo. This story follows Harry's son Albus' journey as he struggles to cope with being put in Slytherin and being different to his father. He becomes close friends with Draco Malfoy's son, Scorpius, on this new adventure.

My Thoughts

I don't know if anyone else felt like this but when the story picked up from where the last book/film ended, it made me feel all nostalgic and like a kid again. I have really missed waiting for a new Harry Potter book or film to come out every single year since the last film came out in 2011.

In the beginning, the script really made you feel like you were picking up from where we last saw Harry. The story overall was pretty good, I enjoyed reading it. It was great seeing where Harry, Ron and Hermione were like as adults and how they have grown to become who they are.

It was also refreshing to see that Harry still suffers from his past (morbid, I know) because he went through ALOT as a kid if you think about it. So it's good that his traumatic past isn't just glossed over. Nobody would be 100% fine with everything that he went through! His dreams and feelings of resentment are expertly described and played out perfectly.

It was lovely seeing Ron and Hermione still being completely in love with each other all these years. Their relationship is subtly explored more throughout the script and their endless flirting and bickering is just too much for my heart to take! Especially Ron's suggestion of renewing their vows, omg!

The story itself is smart and good. I enjoyed reading how Albus and Scorpius became friends and I love their friendship despite the legendary fact that Potters and Malfoys have notoriously never gotten on with each other. They both struggle with their fathers' legacies and worry about how to live up to them with disastrous consequences.

But, as always, there's a few cons. First of all, it's a script. I knew it was a script when I was buying it but I am so disappointed they chose to do this. The entire concept and story had so much to it. It really should have been a fully fleshed out book rather than a script. Some scenes and moments were very rushed for me and I would've loved them to have been more detailed and slowed down.

Albus and Scorpius' friendship has been heavily criticised. Personally, I loved their friendship but like others I have to agree that there seems to be something more than friendship between them. Some of the dialogue between them seemed to be more romantically-inclined rather than a friendship angle. Example:

At the end of the book, I was half expecting them to get together! And that actually would've been nice to see rather than the usual heterosexual relationship ending like always.

Also, we hardly hear from Harry's other children or Hermione and Ron's. I know the story is mainly about Albus and Scorpius but it would've been nice to have seen more input from the others. I mean, particularly Rose, who seemed to have only been there to be a reminder why Albus and Scorpius can't be together as you see towards the end.

There is alot more I could criticise but I can't without spoiling the book so I will leave you to read it and make up your own minds. On the whole, I did enjoy reading a new Harry Potter book but it is far from perfect.